Projects

CUrrent Project

Title: Sustainable Production and Consumption: The Influence of Social Norms (SPAC)

Funding body: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

Period: 02/2019 - 08/2020

Team: Dr Stephen Onakuse (PI), Dr Gideon Fadiran (Postdoc), Judith-Ann Colgan (MSc research)

Summary: The SPAC project presents an opportunity to understand the social norms or behavioural characteristics to responsible production and consumption in Ireland. The project findings will identify areas on attitude-behavioral gaps and targets to stimulate sustainable behavioral change for attention of policy makers and the public.

Research goals:

• Identify attitude-behavioural barriers and gaps to SPAC in Ireland.
• Determine the link between social norms and consumer behaviour.
• Identify measures and indicators that can be used to structure and develop SPAC metrics.
• Develop agent-based modelling methodology to run scenarios and observe policy impact on consumer behaviour

Project activities:

SPAC Online Survey     

Work Packages:       

Working Developments:

1. Fadiran, G. and Onakuse, S., (2019) Identifying environmental barrier to planning, consumption and waste behaviour: a case study of Irish consumers.    
2. Colgan, J., Fadiran, G., Onakuse, S., (2020). Analysis of Barriers and Drivers towards Sustainable Consumption behaviour from an Irish consumer perspective. 

Publications/Presentations:

1. Colgan, J., Onakuse, S., Fadiran, G., (2019). Towards sustainable production and consumption – understanding barriers and behavioural gaps. Cork University Business School, Postgraduate Research Symposium 1 Lapp’s Quay, Centre for Executive Education, 13 May, 2019     

Policy Briefs:

1. Onakuse, S., Fadiran, G., Colgan, J., (2019). Identification of attitude-behavioural gaps and targets for attention of policy makers and the public – to stimulate sustainable behavioural change.
2. Fadiran, G., Colgan, J., Onakuse, S., (2020). Opinion piece: Consumer views on incentives to promote public transport use in Ireland.

media & Social 

1. Onakuse, S., Fadiran, G., Colgan, J., (2019). Consumer role to stimulating sustainable growth. Linkedin article post. 11 July, 2019. 
2. Onakuse, S., (2020). Why it’s time to stop blaming governments and look at our own consumption and sustainability. 26 minutes podcast on UCC CUBS podcast, RTe radio collaboration with University College Cork, Cork University Business School Podcast: Insights. Episode 13.

NEWSLETTERs

Volume 1

To follow project twitter page: @spac_ucc

Acknowledgement

This project is funded under the EPA Research Programme 2014-2020. The EPA Research Programme is a Government of Ireland initiative funded by the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment. It is administered by the Environmental Protection Agency, which has the statutory function of co-ordinating and promoting environmental research.

Disclaimer

Although every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the material contained in this website, complete accuracy cannot be guaranteed. Neither the Environmental Protection Agency nor the authors accept any responsibility whatsoever for loss or damage occasioned or claimed to have been occasioned, in part or in full, as a consequence of any person acting or refraining from acting, as a result of a matter contained in this website.